


Straight Into Gotham

by onesillygoose, raindrops-and-bluebirds (OrchidsofVersailles)



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DC Comics, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bat Family, Batman villains, Case Fic, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Jason Todd, new relationships, vigilantes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-11-13 00:19:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11173062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onesillygoose/pseuds/onesillygoose, https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrchidsofVersailles/pseuds/raindrops-and-bluebirds
Summary: Agent Emerson Parks has always been about the job. But she was not prepared for the perp she'd been chasing to send her straight into an alternate universe. Now the hard part won't be catching the bad guy, but navigating the fictional world she's been thrust into. And she's going to need help to do it.When transported into the fictional world of Gotham city, she seeks the help of Batman and his allies. She needs to catch a dangerous foe, a man named Arin Krakov, before he destroys both the fictional world, and the real world. She knows she can do this. Now if she could just manage to put this strange vigilante family back together first.





	1. Into the Cave

**Author's Note:**

> Because we're collaborating on this, it might be difficult for us to get chapters out on a regular schedule, but we'll be trying our hardest to get them out when we can. I hope you enjoy!

Gotham seemed to be almost gloomier in real life than it had in the pictures. Even the movies hadn’t done it any justice. Emmy wrinkled her nose and immediately ducked into the coffee shop across the street from Wayne Enterprises.

Surveillance was what she needed right now. She definitely did not need to panic about how she was in a fucking fictional world following the perp she’d been chasing for over a year. Or the fact that she got here by way of magic. Actual magic. She didn’t get paid enough for this shit.

Sipping at her coffee, Agent Emerson Parks considered what she knew.

Vigilantes were real. A billionaire dressed up as a bat led them. And his allies were scattered.

Villains were real and were most likely being recruited at that very moment, starting with that creepy clown. Her perp, Arin Krakov, had at least a day ahead of her and she knew nothing about his motives.

Really she was screwed.

What she needed was supplies. She had her knives, a Glock, and some cash, limited knowledge on this universe, no way to contact the crazy guy who brought her into this mess, and no way to get around.

Normally she would contact the local authorities to gain support but even she knew that corruption ran rampant in this city and it’s not like she could explain her origins.

With a sigh she took a long sip of her lukewarm drink. It looked like she was about to join the ranks of the vigilantes.

But she was NOT going to wear a costume.

-

Nighttime in Gotham was actually a little terrifying and this was coming from a trained CIA agent. So far she was kind of regretting her plan. Recon had proven useless. She barely caught a glimpse of any of the targets. The next best option was to approach them as their alter egos.

Night had fallen and she had been making her way through the city searching for signs of the caped crusader with no luck. Emmy turned down every sketchy road she came across looking for trouble. Maybe she could catch him in the act.

When she noticed she was being followed by a couple of slimy looking fellows she let them lead her into a dark alley.

“Wha’s a pretty thing like you doin all alone?” One guy slurred. His friends chuckled.

“Please don’t hurt me,” She faked a whimper while one hand slipped behind to grip one of her knives.

“Well, I-”

Whatever he was going to say was lost in a blur of black and blue as someone flew down from the building tops. In a matter of seconds the men were lying across the alleyway groaning.

“You know sweetheart, there are definitely more interesting parts of Gotham than dirty alley ways. Not to mention how unsanitary they are.”

Emmy was surprised to say the least when one of the men she needed to contact literally dropped down in front of her assumedly to save the day.

“Huh, well that worked out well,” Emmy muttered with a raised eyebrow. It was kind of hard to believe this guy was fictional from where she came from. He seemed oh so very real. I mean the blue and black costume was a bit much but still.

“Yeah, I don’t really tend to get many complaints.” Nightwing said with a smirk. “Glad I got to beat up some worthless scum for ya. I’m happy to do it any time.”

“Oh, that part I had covered,” Emmy tucked her knife back into its sheath and started rummaging around the bodies for any concealed weapons.

Dick eyed her, a little curious and a little wary, as she removed the weapons from the unconscious bodies. He has been doing this long enough to know that it’s not an action any normal civilian would ever think to do. Checking pockets for money or valuables, certainly, but not relieving them of only their weapons.

“So, not to mime what creepy drunk guy over there was saying, but what exactly are you doing here? In a disgusting alley. And alone. We did touch on how this alley is gross, right?”

She disarmed the cheap pistol she’d found and tossed it into a nearby dumpster before turning to the masked hero, “I was looking for one of you actually. Seemed like if I found trouble I would find you too.”

Dick’s playful smirk made its way back onto his face. He’d never been one to say no to helping a cute girl.

“Huh. Usually it’s the big man people try to get in contact with but I’m happy to step in! So, you found me, darlin’. What can I help you with?”

Emmy stood up straight and flipped a piece of blonde hair out of her face, considering Nightwing. She’d met plenty of hotshots before and he was just one more man who thought she was just a damsel in distress.

“Look buddy, I wouldn’t need you except that we seem to have a common enemy,” Emmy pointed a finger in his direction. “So I need you to gather your friends so we can take care of this and be done with it.”

Dick took a half step back and held up a hand, his eyebrow rising beneath his domino as he cocked his head.

“Uh, I don’t think you’re allowed to do that. Pretty sure random hot women aren’t just able to give me orders. I don’t know you, lady, and you don’t get to demand I, what was it you said? Gather my friends? What could you possibly need from us?”

Emmy straightened her shoulders and tried to look intimidating, “I’m Agent Emerson Parks, CIA.”

“CIA, huh? Shouldn’t be entirely surprised you’re in Gotham all things considered, but uh, what brings you to Gotham?”

“A perp I’ve been chasing. He’s….well…it’s a long story” Emmy winced as she thought about explaining who she really was. “I have reason to believe he’s come to Gotham to rally some of your more…prominent criminals. I’m here to stop him and whatever he has planned.”

Dick laughed at that. Partly because he’d been honestly amused by the guts the girl seemed to have, and partly because she sounded completely ridiculous.

“This is Gotham, Agent Parks. You don’t just take on the criminals around here. Not even if you’re a CIA agent. This is why there are vigilantes. Like me. You just tell me what’s happening and I’ll make sure it’s taken care of. You don’t know these criminals, Agent. These people are a legitimate danger to everyone around them. I’m not sure you understand what it’s like here.”

Emmy let out a dry laugh, “Oh you don’t yet realize how much I do know what’s going on here. And more importantly I know you. I know all about who you are under that mask. And the masks of your friends.”

Dick felt a chill run over him and a weight sink into his gut. Genuine terror overcame his entire being. There were only a limited number of people that knew who they were, and this woman did not make the list. If she was telling the truth about knowing his identity then he was in some serious trouble.

“Bullshit. How the hell could you possibly know that?”

Emmy threw her arms up in frustration. This was not how she wanted this to go. But she was tired, hungry, annoyed, and completely done with everything so it’s not like she could be blamed for what she said next.

“Because where I come from, you’re not real.”

Sometimes Dick honestly wished he didn’t have to wear a mask so that people could see how truly dirty the looks were that he gives them.

“Not real? Like, not a real hero? You’re from Metropolis, aren’t you? Is that it? We aren’t real heroes because we can’t fly and we don’t have a red cape? Well, let me tell you, we work just as hard as Superman, if not harder!”

“Superman would sure as hell be easier to deal with!” Emmy snapped with a scowl. “His everyday disguise is just adding a pair of glasses to his face. I mean who does that actually fool!”

Now Dick was officially freaking out. Clark certainly didn’t have the greatest disguise, but it’s not like people were actually running around every day pointing out who he was. Dick himself hadn’t even known until Bruce told him, and that was after he’d been Robin for six months. And he knew that this woman should decidedly not know who Clark is. CIA or not, she knew classified information, and she had quickly become a threat.

“Why do you know that? How do you know that? Alright lady, you need to tell me exactly who the hell you are. Now!”

“Oh, so now you’re taking me seriously?” Emmy questioned ruefully. “I told you. Where I’m from you’re not real. You’re fictional. Everybody knows who you are.”

Dick threw his hands up, shouting because he was just as frustrated as this mystery woman.

“What does that mean?!”

“It means…,” Emmy trailed off her voice going quiet as she took a step towards him. “I’m going to need you to call your friends, Mr. Grayson.”

That does it. If she knew who Dick was, then it really was his ass on the line. He’s done trying to be diplomatic and polite. Screw manners. This broad had pissed him off.

“And I’m going to need you to start telling me some goddamn facts! Who are you and why do you know these things? You’re not going to get a damn thing from me until I get the truth!”

“I already told you!” Emmy shot back. “And I’m not the only one who knows. Arin does too and he’s the one who has been recruiting your enemies for who knows how long or for what purpose and that is why that guy…Dr. Fate or whatever brought me over. To help” She took another step forward. “I’m not your enemy Richard Grayson.”

Oh. That changed things.

“Dr. Fate? He brought you here? Okay. But from where, exactly? You said you’re not from here, so where is it you’re from?”

Emmy shrugged, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m from wherever it is that your whole universe was created and developed by other people into comics and TV shows and movies. You are fictional. Gotham is fictional. It’s all…not real.”

It was all far more confusing and overwhelming than even Dick was prepared for. His head was beginning to hurt. A lot.

“I don’t… I don’t really know how to respond to this. I’m not even really sure I know what’s going on anymore. What is it your… enemy? What is it he wants? And what exactly is it you need from me?”

“Arin thrives on chaos. He never settles on one M.O. He was brought here the same way I was,” Emmy frowned. “I’ve been chasing him for over a year. Whatever he has planned cannot be good. I need you and the rest of the vigilantes working together and on my side if we’re going to catch him.”

“You want… what? You want all of us to help you catch this guy? All of us as in me and Batman? Or all of us as in all of us?”

Emmy had started to get suspicious of how fidgety Grayson was getting. “I mean all of you.”

“You’re joking. That’s funny.” His smile had begun to falter before it finally slid from his face. Christ. What a mess his night turned out to be. And being back in Gotham, that’s saying a lot. “Okay, so, you’re clearly not joking. Alright then. Guess we’re gonna need to talk to Batman. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, lady. The four of us working together usually tends to be less than smooth sailing.”

“I’ve heard,” She responded drily. With what little time she had, she’d researched the targets. “Now do you have a ride or am I going to have to brace myself for jumping across rooftops?”

Everything about the situation was ridiculous. But Dick didn’t know what else he was supposed to do. This woman came to him asking for help and he couldn’t turn her away. He may not have totally believe every word that was coming out of her mouth, but it was his job to help the people who needed it.

“Uh, I’ve got my bike. You mind a little bit of wind?”

Her lip quirked up into a small playful smirk, “A bike, huh? Sounds fun.”

So maybe Dick was speeding just a little more than he usually did in attempts to get Agent Parks to hold on that much tighter. He would’ve been lying if he said he hadn't wanted to impress the woman, but he also couldn’t be too reckless. So he quickly dismissed the fleeting idea of popping a wheelie.

"You doin' alright back there?" He shouted over his shoulder, trying his best to be heard over the wind.

Her hands flexed around him as she leaned forward to respond, “I’m great. I would be doing better if you stopped turning like that. What? Does your bike have training wheels on or something?”

"No offense, sweetheart, but I doubt you could do any better."

Pieces of her hair whipped around them as Emmy put her face closer to his ear, “You wanna try me, hotshot?”

Dick had suddenly become much more interested in helping this woman out than he had been an hour ago. Who didn’t love a hot, secret spy woman who could also ride a motorcycle?

"I'll take a raincheck on that one."

Emmy shrugged and settled back letting the thrill of the ride take over, “Suit yourself.”

Dick pulled into the cave with his nerves on edge and his gut churning. Bruce was going to be furious when he saw that Dick brought a complete stranger into the cave. Bruce was a real genius and a brilliant man, but wasn’t always the most mild tempered. He could certainly be reasoned with, though, and Dick knew he’d come to see that Agent Parks was a necessary part of their situation.

Bruce was still uniform. It was actually a little worrying that he was in the cave at all. The fact that he was back early couldn’t be a good sign. If Bruce wasn’t in a grumpy mood before, then he was going to be.

“Uh, Bruce?”

Bruce turned away from the computer at the sound of his voice. He was still wearing the cowl, but Dick had been around him long enough to know every look without even seeing Bruce’s face.

“Nightwing? Who is this? This is entirely against policy and you know this. What in the world are you thinking bringing a civilian here?”

“Not a civilian,” Emmy chimed in as she released her grip on Dick and effortlessly swung her leg off the bike.

"Then identify yourself. Quickly. Before you are forcibly removed from this cave." Bruce's voice was low and menacing, leaving no room for discussion.

The cave fascinated Emmy but she reigned in her interest to focus on the intimidating man in front of her. None of her research could’ve captured how much of a presence the man carried about him.

“Agent Emerson Parks,” Emmy met his gaze evenly. “You need my help.”

Bruce considered her thoughtfully. His interest in this woman had been piqued and now he was curious as to what would bring her to his doorstep for help.

"Agent Parks. CIA, I'm guessing. Do you have identification?" Because Bruce was always cautious and never took any unnecessary risks if he didn’t have to. If he couldn’t physically see something, then it might as well all be nonsense.

Emmy was impressed by his deductions and caution but kept her face neutral as she pulled out her ID and passed it over.

Bruce studied the badge carefully before handing it back with a nod of approval.

"What can I help you with, Agent? I have all of the crime in this city under control. I'm in no need of outside help who is unfamiliar with this city. So until I know Gotham is within your jurisdiction, I don't want to see you running around these streets trying to take on criminals."

“I’m more familiar with this city than you may think,” Emmy chose her words very carefully. “Tell me this, have you had an unusual increase in the presence of criminals in the past week or so?”

Bruce's gaze was unwavering, his body solid and unmoving. Not even a twitch as a tell to what he was thinking. Dick on the other hand, shifted nervously from where he was watching.

"The crime in this city is constant and vigilant. It never ceases. I do, however, document any and all surges and anomalies. There has in fact been an uptake in crime over the past several nights. I'm guessing you have something you'd like to tell me about that, Agent."

“His name is Arin Krakov. I’ve been on his tail for a long time. I was close to catching him when next thing I know some magical kid sends him off to ‘create more chaos’,” Emmy explained. “Apparently your world is at a prime spot for chaos. That’s why Dr. Fate helped me follow him. I believe he’s going to unite your enemies and I need you and your allies to be prepared.”

"Any idea what he might have planned or what he wants?" Dick asked, inserting himself into the conversation again.

"We need any and all information you have about this man. If you're telling the truth then all of Gotham is in jeopardy."

Bruce’s attention was drawn away and he turned at the sound of two motorbike engines pulling in and echoing through the cave. Red Hood dismounted his bike first, leaving on his shiny red helmet and standing defensively next to his bike and in front of the smaller vigilante next to him. Red Robin followed his lead, stepping off the bike but removing his helmet to reveal the black domino underneath.

"Who's this?" Red Robin asked.

“Agent Emerson Parks,” Emmy repeated taking in the two newcomers. It was strange being surrounded by so many people in masks, especially when she already knew their identities.

"Red Hood, Red Robin, this is Agent Parks of the CIA. She needs our help. She needs all of our help." Bruce explained. "I'll need you both to stay in town for a few days more. Something is going on. Something big. We're all going to have to work together on this one."

"So what's the deal?" Red Hood queried and crossed his arms.

Emmy sighed and rubbed a finger across her forehead, “Okay, I’m just going to say it. We can dispense with all the code names. I know who all of you are.” She points to herself, “Alternate universe where you all are fictional characters.”

Red Robin raised an eyebrow, “You think we’re fictional?”

"Fictional? Like characters or something? We talking like out of a book?" And even with his helmet on, Red Hood’s irritation was easily heard. He was not in the mood for BS after the night they'd had. Not that he was ever really in a great mood for any reason.

“Yes, Jason Todd. Fictional,” Emmy shot him a challenging look. “Comics, TV shows, movies.”

"So you know our names. That doesn't mean anything. This Little Bird over here figured all that out when he was nine." Jason said with a shrug and tilts his head in Red Robin's direction.

"This isn't that simple, Jason." Bruce stated.

Red Hood's head whipped towards him. Whatever the hell was going on, Jason needed to know right that second.

"What the hell, B?! Rule number one: no real names! That has always been your rule, remember?! What is going on right now?!"

“I’m not the only one who knows you. And the man that does is out there uniting your enemies as we speak,” Emmy interjected turning everybody’s focus back onto her.

"What is it exactly that we're doing? Somebody maybe want to fill us in?" Jason snapped harshly, finally removing the bulky red helmet.

Emmy knew what he was supposedly was capable of but met him head on, “Right now I need to know if you all can get your shit together long enough to work together.”

Jason’s domino creased between his brows as he narrowed his eyes.

"I don't particularly care for random people butting into my business and demanding something of me."

"Jason." Tim chastised him softly.

And just his name being said by that voice was enough to calm him down.

"Alright. Fine. So? What's the plan? Which big bad psychos are we taking on this time?"

“Arin thrives on chaos,” Emmy shrugged. “He’s going to go for whoever has power and will help him create the most trouble. He doesn’t stick to one M.O. He’s dabbled in drugs, weapons and human trafficking, detonations, kidnappings, torture, and carefully calculated murders.”

"Shit. That means his first recruit is going to be the Clown Prince himself." Jason pondered aloud. "We know The Joker doesn't do anything without Harley, so it's safe to assume her crazy ass will be there, too." Jason deduced.

"The Joker has allied himself with Black Mask in the past. He'll probably be the first one The Joker contacts. Then Hush. And maybe even Scarecrow. There's your agents of chaos and drugs right there." Dick chimed in. "But if Arin's looking for someone who can rally The Rogues together, and he knows our world, then The Joker is definitely going to be his first stop."

Emmy cursed, “Even in my world that bastard has quite the reputation.”

“You said your perpetrator has knowledge of our identities as well, yes?” Tim interjected. “Would he share that with his new allies?”

Emmy mulled over the question thoughtfully, “My guess is he’ll be using it as leverage. He won’t share it unless he has to.”

"And we're supposed to do what? Sit around and wait for this asshole to unleash hell on the city? Let's go find him and take him out!"

"You know that isn't how we do things, Jason. Our first step is always to observe and gather information." Bruce said sternly. "Assuming all of what Agent Parks is saying is correct, and our theories hold true, we still don't currently know the whereabouts of The Joker. Finding him is top priority."

“Well leave Arin to me,” Emmy crossed her arms and looked each of them in the eye. “I know him and it’s my job to bring him in.”

"Right," Jason snorted out a humorless laugh. "You take on one guy, meanwhile, the rest of us will be putting our asses on the line taking on Gotham's worst."

"It'll be fine, Jaybird. And besides, it's been a while since you got to really beat up on some of these loonies. I bet you'll enjoy that."

Jason shot Dick the middle finger in response to his semi- teasing.

Emmy ignored their childish antics, “You don’t realize what Arin is capable of. We’re wasting time. I should be out there looking for signs of him right now.”

The creak of Jason’s leather gloves was audible as his hands balled up into fists.

"You're really trying to come in here and tell us how to do our jobs? Well, let me tell you-"

"Enough!" Bruce roared, and all attention was suddenly diverted as a red screen flashed across the Batcomputer, accompanied by a loud alarm. "We've got an alert. An explosion down at the docks. Could be The Joker. Nightwing and Agent Parks will investigate. Red Robin, Red Hood and I will come up with our next plan of action. We need to catch this man as soon as possible. Gotham's safety is at stake."

"Sounds good to me, boss", Dick said, sounding as confident and careless as ever. "You ready to go, doll face?"

"Dick! Stay focused! Call if you need backup!" The reminder was as much of a reprimand as always. Bruce loved his sons, but sometimes he wondered if he wasn't hard enough on them growing up. "Get going. There's no time to waste."

Emmy shot Dick a look, “I’m driving.”


	2. Into the Fray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Jason find out that working together might mean confronting some feelings they didn't know were there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hope you all enjoyed our first chapter. Here is chapter 2! 
> 
> So, while we both are working on our own solo projects, we will continue to try our best to work on this and update as frequently as we can. We've almost wrapped up chapter 3 and there may be a possibility we can get that out soon.
> 
> It's been a very interesting process co- writing this so far and we feel we've been very successful with it, so we hope you all like it! Thanks to everyone who's read and we hope you continue to stick with us!
> 
> (quick side note: the very beginning starts with a tiny bit of Dick and Emmy and the rest is Jason and Tim.)
> 
> Enjoy chapter 2!

Emmy sped around another corner, using the rising smoke in the distance to guide her, while Dick held on from behind. She was on the hunt. Krakov was not going to get away from her again. 

"You sure you're up for this, dollface?" Dick asked. 

His stomach was in knots. He'd been used to late night catastrophes popping up all over Gotham. But he couldn't help but worry that he'd made a poor decision by bringing along Agent Parks. She may have been CIA, but she didn't know Gotham the way they did.

“Call me that again and you’ll see just how ready I am,” Emmy shot back. “If you refuse to call me Agent Parks you can call me Emmy.” 

Dick failed to stifle a chuckle. He knew he liked this girl. 

"Alright then. So Emmy, how long have you been in the CIA?"

“Six years,” Emmy sighed. She didn’t know why she was playing along and answering his questions. “Half spent overseas.” 

"Listen Emmy, I know you think I'm an idiot, or that I'm just some pretty boy in tights, but this is serious. I don't want you getting hurt and I can't afford to be distracted by trying to watch out for you. So if you don't think you can handle this that's fine. But let me know before we run into a situation we're going to have to fight our way out of."

“How about this Nightwing, you watch out for you and I’ll watch out for me, because I hate to break it to you, but I’m no damsel in distress,” Emmy shot back as they got closer to the roaring flames. 

Dick smirked inside his helmet, "Fair enough. Agent Parks."

-

Tim wasn’t sure what to think about Agent Parks or her story, but there sure was something happening with Gotham’s criminals. Bruce’s computer was lighting up with crime alerts. 

“Where do you want us, Batman?” 

"I'll stay here and try to find the whereabouts of The Joker. You two head toward downtown. The alert came from a breakout at Blackgate. I'll contact you when I have more information."

"Bruce, I hope you know what you're doing. You don't even know this broad and you're putting us in danger because you’re deciding to take her word without any proof she’s telling us the truth."

Bruce knew Jason better than Jason thought. He saw straight through Jason's apprehension. Jason had no fear. Not of getting hurt. Not of dying. Not anymore. No, he knew this fear stemmed from Jason's desire to keep Tim safe. He had suspected Jason's feelings for Tim months ago, when he stopped trying to beat up on the smaller boy and started following him around in secret during Tim's patrols. 

He knew Jason wasn’t at all worried for his own safety. That his concerns were for Tim's safety, and his worries were for them going into a situation that he may not be able to protect Tim from. But he also knew how well they were both trained, and that Jason's fears were unsubstantiated. 

"I understand your concerns, Jason, but right now we have a real matter to deal with. Keep an eye open for anything and everything. I won't even tell you to watch Tim's back. I know you will. Just be careful. We'll worry about the rest later."

Jason nodded stiffly. It wasn't quite an apology, or even Bruce expressing his feelings or his misgivings about Agent Parks, but it was as close as he was going to get.

Tim frowned as he gripped the helmet in his hands. He wasn’t sure he understood the look shared between Bruce and Jason but he didn’t like the implication that he couldn’t handle himself. 

“Let’s go,” Tim bit out, throwing on his helmet as he went. 

"I know you got a plan already, Little Bird, so let's hear it. How are we playing this whole bullshit riot thing?" 

Jason was ahead of Tim on his bike, glancing behind him at Tim every now and then in his side view mirror.

Tim ignored the now familiar reaction to the nickname and got down to business, “We split up, take it from two sides until we can corral them into something manageable for the local authorities.” 

"Smart. You watch your ass out there, brat, because I ain't gonna do it for ya." 

Jason didn't hate Tim as much as he used to, and they certainly were not best friends, but Jason didn't want to see the kid smeared across the sidewalk at the end of this. And it had nothing to do with the fact that Tim was cute with a sweet smile. Of course not. He just didn't want Bruce or Dick giving him shit for the rest of his life for letting their precious Red Robin get killed.

“Keep an eye on your six. Red Robin out.” 

Tim cut the line before he could say something more embarrassing about Jason staying safe. Logically he was aware of Jason’s skills, the man had tried to kill him in the past and had nearly succeeded. And he was the Red Hood for God’s sakes! But that didn’t make him invincible. 

When they split, Tim went right where Jason went left. Their intel said the guards were trapped in the center of the building. The police had their hands full with the few criminals that escaped outside. They mostly had to control what was going on inside. 

Jason got in through the basement, being all too familiar with the weaknesses in Blackgate's security systems. It wasn't the first time he'd had to sneak in. 

The basement was clear, mainly used for storage and the setup of what had appeared to be a half finished poker game that had been abandoned quickly. The first floor of cells started above the basement, and through concrete he couldn't hear a thing from the floors above. 

Minding his surroundings constantly, Jason searched the whole floor before heading up to cell block E. He first heard the raucous while in the stairwell. 

When he opened the stairwell door, the first thing Jason saw was an unconscious security guard on the floor, but the hallway was empty. He could tell the noise wasn't coming from too far off and made his way towards the source. 

"Stay alert, Red Robin. We've got guards down all over inside. Only one cellblock seems to have been released, thankfully. But of course it was the one holding violent offenders and murderers. Any idea on who was behind this?" Jason said into his comm as he stepped unflinching into the chaos, taking out two unsuspecting criminals by smashing his pistols into their heads.

Tim was finding it eerily quiet from his end. It was almost a relief to hear Jason’s voice, “With this kind of precision I would susp-”

Tim was cut off by a bullet lodging itself into the concrete right where his head used to be. 

"What was that? You still okay, kid?" The worry was clear in Jason's voice, even as he was thrusting his fist into the face of one of the many criminals that were charging at him. 

He was trying not to use his guns, knowing Bruce's distaste of them, but there was no mistaking the sound of a gunshot coming over the comm. If Tim was in trouble, Jason needed to get to him quickly, and if guns were necessary then so be it.

“Fine,” Tim bit out as he twirled out of the way of another gunshot. 

By the time he was facing his attacker he had his bo staff at the ready. And then it was a flurry of movement until the man was lying unconscious on the ground, gun kicked away in the process. 

He wasn’t in a prisoner’s uniform, or a guards. In fact, he was dressed a little too nice to be in this part of town at all. 

“Heads up Hood, looks like Black Mask might be behind this.” 

"Shouldn't be surprised," the last word came out as a grunt as Jason pistol whipped another inmate before throwing an elbow into the face of another. "He's got all sorts of connections with people all over this city. Any idea why he might've planned this?"

It was making Jason to nervous to be able to hear Tim but not see him. He had no idea what was going on on Tim's end and he needed to find the younger boy soon. If the kid needed backup then Jason wasn't sure he'd be able to get to him in time. They needed to regroup and form a plan. It was always easier to handle these types of situations together. And if Tim got hurt, not only would Dick and Bruce never forgive him, he would probably never forgive himself.

Tim was running the variables through his head as he raced through the halls, ignoring the jeers and cat calls from the men still trapped behind bars. 

“New plan. I’m headed up to the warden’s office. You free the guards. Rendezvous outside when you’re finished.” 

"And I would find them all where? What are you even doing?" Jason asked, frustrated that Tim was going off on his own again but already on the move to follow kid's instructions. "Wait at the warden's office for me and stop fucking going off on your own! This is still a dangerous situation, kid. We don't know what's going on! We should be together on this!"

It wasn't what Jason had meant to say. Sounded too needy, almost vulnerable. He could feel himself blushing inside his helmet.

Tim faltered for a second. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jason Todd wanted to stick together. It was almost like he was worried about Tim but that…that couldn’t be true. 

“I’m following a hunch. But someone needs to free the guards,” Tim reasoned. He hesitated before continuing. “I’ll be careful.” 

"Dammit. Fine. You'd fucking better be, kid." Jason made his way through the halls, locating the security hub where most of the guards had been tied up and left. "This is what I get for agreeing to work with a team again." He mumbled under his breath. 

He finished his sweep of the floor, incapacitating the remaining inmates and freeing the few guards that had been thrown into cells. He sent a call in to Gordon to send some forces to help get things back in order, and then made his way up to the warden's office to find Tim. He found it a bit odd that it was only the one floor of criminals that had been released, but it was just like Black Mask to do something stupid like this. He didn't seem to realize that he wasn't great at killing the Bats, only at inconveniencing them.

Once Jason reached the office he was surprised to see it completely trashed. Chairs were turned over, books scattered the floors, papers were flung all over, and there was Tim standing by the desk, typing rapidly on the computer’s keyboard. 

“They were looking for something,” Tim said without looking away from the screen. 

"They? Who the hell is 'they'? What are you even doing?" Jason's agitation was increasing with the fact that Tim was only giving him half answers and had hardly even acknowledged him.

“Black Mask and whoever he used to get into the system,” Tim answered, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. “I’m trying to track the keystrokes but they covered their tracks.” 

"Listen, brat, I don't know what you think is happening here, but you're done calling the shots." Jason barked as he stepped right into Tim's space and forced him to look up from the monitor. "We've only got half of the information and don't even know what Black Mask's goal here was. We didn’t even know what was going on in here and you just bolted inside! So you can't just keep doing whatever the hell you feel like and leaving me in the dark. From now on you tell me the whole plan and we go in together. That's not a request. Understand?"

Tim stood his ground, which put them even closer together. 

“I was doing what was good for the mission. Someone needed to free the guards and you were closest. If they only released one block that means they needed a distraction. Based on the location, I determined whatever they wanted was in the warden’s office. Can I get back to hacking the computer now before I lose the trail completely?” 

Jason stared at him, blinking stupidly. The kid was probably right. Jason knew how smart he was. And his argument had plenty of grounds. But he wasn't backing down, even if Tim made great points. It was the principle of it. He wasn't going to let the little brat win. He was too pissed now. And he wasn't all that crazy about the kid getting in his face. But he had to admit that he was impressed by it. 

"Do whatever you want! That's what you've been doing all night, right?! Why the hell am I even here?! I'll just go home and let you figure all this shit out on your own!" 

Yes, Jason was being childish, but so what? The Replacement might've been judging him, but he didn't care. Not at all. Not even a little. Okay, maybe just a little.

Tim didn’t understand why Jason was acting like this. So far the mission was relatively a success. Sure they had to split up to get it done, but that happens sometimes out in the field. 

“What would you rather I have done?” Tim asked even though he knew they were wasting time. 

"How about talking to me?! How about not running off on your own into a situation where we're half blind?! How about letting me know who the fuck is shooting at you so I know you've taken him out and are no longer in danger of being killed?!"

He hadn't meant to crack up on Tim. Hadn't meant to expose how deep his worry went. Maybe he cared a little bit for the little shit. Was that so terrible? Was it so terrible that he didn't want something that had happened to him to happen to this kid? If Bruce and Dick couldn't keep an eye out for Tim all the time, then he would. He wouldn't let Bruce make the same mistakes with Tim that he had with him. Tim was too good for that. 

Jason would keep him safe. Not just because he was doing it for Bruce or Dick. Not just because he thought Tim was smart and sweet and kind of adorable. But because Jason never wanted another uniform to be tattered and bloodied by the hands of another whack job.

“I’m…” Tim took a half step forward. “I’m sorry, Jason.” 

Tim was so out of his element it wasn’t even funny. He was used to working with Bruce or Dick who didn’t care if Tim followed up a lead on his own. This type of concern was unexpected and even more so coming from Jason. The same Jason who once tried to kill him. And the same Jason who acted like he didn’t give a damn about anyone. Tim couldn’t deny the slight twinge in his chest that maybe Jason actually cared about him. 

"Fine. Just... don't keep running off. Jesus. I want to be able to see you at all times, and..." Jason wasn't sure what he was going to say. Wasn't even sure what to say at all. Just knows that he needs to keep Tim close and keep him safe. "Just stay close. Alright?" Jason's voice had gone soft and quiet. Almost weak. 

He hadn't meant to make the kid feel bad. He had just been worried. He felt like Tim was his responsibility. And he would keep his brilliant little bird out of harm's way. However he could. No matter what it took. Even if he hurt the kid's feelings. Jason would absolutely guilt him if it would save his life.

“Alright…” Tim nodded and let a small reassuring smile slip onto his face. “No more running off.” 

Jason was a grown man. Twenty one years old, six feet tall, and over two hundred pounds, and this teenager standing in front of him, this kid, somehow managed to give him the feeling of butterflies in his stomach with nothing but a smile. 

He swallowed, got a hold of himself and nodded in return. 

"Okay. Good. No more running off." 

Jason stared at Tim. His pouting lips that had a smile playing across them. The slight flush on his cheeks from his earlier fight before Jason had stumbled upon him. Tried to imagine the look in his pale blue eyes under the cowl. He fisted his hand to avoid reaching out a hand to push off Tim's cowl and see the look in those eyes for himself. 

"Tim..." Again, he didn't know where the sentence was headed, so he didn't finish it. Cuts himself off before he could say something stupid or something else that might upset the kid. Or worse, scare him away.

“Jason,” Tim wasn’t sure what was happening but he suddenly wished he could see Jason’s face as he said his name so delicately, almost like it mattered. Tim’s mouth was dry and it felt like there was a magnet pulling him forward. “We should get back to the mission.” 

Tim frowned to himself, feeling like that wasn’t what he actually meant to say. But whatever was buzzing between them had snapped at his words. 

Jason physically recoiled, putting some space between himself and Tim. If he was being honest with himself, it wasn't what he'd wanted Tim to say. But obviously whatever Jason was feeling for Tim wasn't returned. He had to respect that. He didn't have to like it, though. Still, he was going to watch out for the kid, because maybe Jason secretly wanted to keep the little bird for himself. Lock him up and keep him safe. Give Tim his leather jacket and hope it would keep him protected from the ugly streets of Gotham. 

"Yeah," he said tersely, disappointed expression hidden behind his helmet. "Let's get back to the mission."

“Right.” 

It felt like Tim’s feet had fallen out from beneath him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had said or done something wrong, but there was nothing he could do about it now. So he pulled out a USB and went to work, convincing himself that the moment of vulnerability between him and Jason had never happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again so much for giving us a chance. We hope you've enjoyed and that there's at least one part of this story that appeals to you. We appreciate you taking the time to read and hope to see you back for chapter 3!


	3. Into the Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent Parks and Nightwing face trouble at the docks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small note that the point of view will probably continue to switch back and forth between Tim/Jason and Emmy/Dick.

Emmy could feel the heat on her face as she spun the bike to a stop just a few feet from the flames. A whole block of containers was ablaze. She swung a leg over the bike put an arm up to her mouth and cautiously approached. 

"None of these containers have been tagged by Batman as holding anything dangerous. The explosion had to be caused. Now we just need to find out by who."

Dick's question was answered nearly immediately when a silhouette appeared atop some of the other crates. 

"Well, well, well. Would you look at we've got here. If it isn't bird boy and... who the hell are you, Blondie? And where's Bats?!" Comes the high pitched voice with a New Jersey like drawl to it.

Emmy immediately drew her weapon, “Agent Parks, CIA. Where is Krakov?” 

"Oh, right. Like I'm just gonna outright tell you. I can tell she's new. She don't know how this game works. Where did you find this one, Bat brat? Well, let me fill you in, Blondie, that ain't how this is gonna go down. What happens is you run, and I hit you!"

Dick watched as she emerged out of the smoke, flipped off of one of the crates and landed on the ground in front of them. The red and black- clad villain smiling maniacally like she just won the lottery. 

"What's his game plan, Harley? And what do you get out of it?"

"I get to make Mistah J happy! And I get the chance to look at that cute butt of yours while I try to crush ya!"

“Are you going to keep flirting or can we get back to the part where I take you down and you answer all of my questions?” Emmy interjected, shooting Dick a raised eyebrow. 

"You think we're... oh, you've gotta be kidding me." Dick groaned. 

"Aw, your girlfriend jealous, bird brain? Too bad. I was having so much fun!" Harley shouts.

Dick stepped between her and Emmy, blocking a punch from Harley as she charged forward. He couldn't see her usual guns on her, but that didn't mean she didn't have them. He was just happy she didn’t have her hammer. 

"Heads up, Emmy; Harley fights unpredictably and that's about all that's predictable or helpful with her. She is skilled in acrobatics, though. And I promise that'll be the only time I step in. I'd hate for you to kick my ass later for trying to help." Dick teased and glanced at Emmy over his shoulder, a playful smile on his lips.

Emmy cocked her head to the side as she holstered her weapon. “You better believe it, hotshot.” 

“Ya gonna smooch now or what?” Harley taunted. 

Emmy slipped out a knife instead and lunged forward, blocking an overhead swing from the other woman as she slipped inside her defenses to get a quick slice on Harley’s cheek. 

Harley wiped the cut on cheek. It should've been deeper than it was, but thanks to Ivy’s concoctions, the cut was minor. 

"I like her, bird brain. You did good with this one. I can tell she's a riot. But you're gonna pay for that cheap shot, lady. And when I finish with you, I'm gonna rip your boyfriend to pieces and serve him up to Mistah J!"

Harley pulled her guns, and Dick didn't even want to know where she'd been hiding them. She shot once, the gun releasing a smoke pellet, rendering them blind. Then his feet were swept out from under him and he found himself looking up at Harley down the barrel of her gun. 

"Too easy, Bat brat. And I was hoping we could play a little bit longer. Oh well. Once you're dead I'll just kill your girlfriend and go on with my night. Hey! Maybe I'll make it in time for the party I heard was going on at Blackgate!" She laughed, cocking her gun.

“Hey!” Emmy shouted causing Harley to look to the side. With expert precision Emmy threw her knife, hitting Harley’s hand and causing the gun to go off. But luckily that was enough time for Dick to move out of the way. 

"Thanks," Dick murmured as he took the hand Emmy offered to help him to his feet. "When this is over, remind me that I owe you an apology. But for now, we've gotta finish this. And quick. Your call. How we taking her down?"

Emmy took a step closer so she could see him through the lingering smoke, “You got anything that can hold her? Cuffs or anything?” 

"Not sure that would make a difference for long. Harley's broken out of every pair of handcuffs ever put on her. But I’ve got some."

"You two gossips better quit jabbering over there and start paying attention. I don't like being ignored! Not to mention there's a crazy lady with a gun standing a few feet in front of you that you should maybe watch out for!" Harley mused to herself, tilting her head as she got set up for another shot. 

Dick reached into one of the hidden pockets on his uniform and quickly produced a pair of handcuffs, handing them off to Emmy. 

"Hope you know what you're doing."

Dick suspected Emmy would be fine. Letting her form the plan to take out Harley was as much a test as it was a golden opportunity to watch her in action and to see just how capable she was.

Emmy tucked the cuffs away and held up her hands, “Okay…you caught us. What do you want?” 

"Huh. Well, that was easier than I thought." Harley smiled and practically skipped over to them. "Well, I don't know, really. I'm not the one coming up with the plan. Mistah J gave me orders. I'm just following them."

Dick picked up on the way Harley's expression changed from joyous to angry. 

"You know, for a while I thought me and him were a team again. Equals and whatever. Working on plans together. Then some guy comes along and Mistah J's taking his orders! Can you believe that? My puddin', taking orders like he's nothing but a common henchman! Meanwhile, it's my keister out here on the streets dealing with the likes of you two! So now I gotta bring you to Joker and his new bonehead friend."

“He is quite the bone head…” Emmy agreed, moving subtlety around Harley as she ranted away. 

“Right?!” Harley nodded enthusiastically. “Marchin around sayin all kinds of crazy nonsense and my puddin’ is practically trapped under his spell.” 

“Naturally. Well, as fun as this has been,” Emmy ducked and rolled, jabbing a knife into Harley’s calf then knocking her feet out from underneath her before wrestling her face down to put on the cuffs. 

"No fair! That actually hurt! I want a do over! Bird boy, tell your girlfriend to let me up. I'm calling a time out!"

Dick smirked down at her. "Nice try, Harley, but it ain't gonna happen." He then turned to Emmy and gave her a real smile. "Nicely done. Not how I would've done it, but hey, to each their own. Now we got about five minutes before she gets out of those. So what's next, Agent?"

Emmy pressed a knee into Harley’s back. “Now our friend here is going to tell us what Arin has planned.” 

"Girlie, you're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna tell you anything. I may be a bimbo, but I'm no idiot. Besides, there's no way I'd turn my back on my puddin'. So you can go ask someone else." Harley whipped her head away in the opposite direction, her blonde hair flopping all over due to her hat being knocked off during the scuffle. "By the way, toots, I hate to tell ya, but you ain't no feather. You wanna maybe get your knee outta my back?"

Dick stomped forward, dropping to a knee in front of Harley. 

"This is serious, Harley. We need to know what's going down. Arin just needs Joker's help, but once he gets what he wants then we'll all be dead. You and The Joker included."

Dick studied her face as the defiant look in her eye softened. Became something more like apprehension and fear. 

"I don't believe you." Harley spat harshly at him.

“Arin doesn’t have partners,” Emmy continued, catching on to Dick’s train of thought. “Every person ever connected to him has ended up dead. I would know, I’ve been following him for almost two years.” 

"And just who the hell exactly are you?" Harley snipped.

“Agent Emmerson Parks,” Emmy lifted her knee slightly. “And I’m only trying to help.” 

Harley stood slowly, rubbed at her wrists as Dick smiled. It was a new record for her. She'd gotten her cuffs off in under three minutes this time. 

"Alright. I'll tell ya what I know. But only if you promise that nothin' will happen to my puddin'."

Dick nodded, but Harley waited until she got a nod from Emmy as well. 

"I don't know the whole plan or what his end game is. But I can tell ya what I heard." Harley paused for a second, smiled as she took in the two figures in front of her. "By the way, I don't know what the connection is between you two, but there's a lot going on here. Including more sexual tension than I have time to discuss right now. You'll have to make a future appointment with me."

"Harley!" Dick barked, glaring at her from behind his domino. 

"Alright, alright. Don't get your feathers in a twist, bird boy. Like I said, I don't know everything, so I can only tell ya what I do have. And that is that they’re gatherin’ all the big baddies to come play together. Something ‘bout the final checkmate.” 

Emmy flashed back to every crime scene, every dead body, every explosion, every shred of evidence and every goddamn note left behind for her. 

“He knows I followed him,” Emmy grit her teeth. 

"What now?" Dick inquired, his panic rising. 

"Are you two dating or not? This is really going to bug me until I can figure it out." Harley said, rather unhelpfully as she continued to study them. 

"Not now, Harley!" Dick shouted. "Are you sure that was that all you heard? There was nothing else?"

Harley shrugged. "No. Just that he wanted to round up the biggest players. Half of us were just supposed to be distractions. The rest are the key components. Mistah J is a big part of this. If anyone knows all of your guy's plans, then it's him. But good luck getting any of that from him. Are you sure you two aren't-"

"Okay, Harley. Let's go. We're taking you back to Arkham."

"Aw, hey, that wasn't part of the plan!"

“How are we doing that with just the bike?” Emmy pointed out absentmindedly. 

Dick sighed and pressed his finger to his ear. 

"Batman, this is Nightwing, we've got Harley in custody and she needs a ride back to Arkham. Agent Parks and I will be following up on some information she volunteered."

"Confirming ride for Harley. Gordon's men should be arriving soon."

"Anything to report on Red Hood and Red Robin's end?"

"A whole flash drive full. I'll sort through the information later. Right now I'm still trying to locate The Joker. Report back if you find anymore leads. Red Hood and Red Robin are still out searching. We'll all reconvene in the cave at dawn."

"Understood. Nightwing out."

Dick turned to Emmy to see her looking at him expectantly, her eyebrow raised. 

"He's still searching for The Joker. And for now, so are we. So I guess we need to get moving again."

“Alright well you get th-”

Another explosion cut Emmy off. It sounded as though it had come from further along into the docks. Harley immediately held up her hands when the two turned to look at her. 

“That one ain’t me.” 

“Arin,” Emmy breathed racing for the bike. She shouted over her shoulder at Dick. “You stay with her!” 

Dick ran a hand through his hair and sighed maybe just a little too dramatically.

“And she’s gone. Again. Batman is going to kick my ass.”

“Looks like she’s doing your job better than you are. Better watch out, hot stuff, I think The Bat may have just replaced you again. And this one is prettier than you, too.”

Emmy was forced to come to a stop where the middle of the dock had fallen into the bay. A few oil drums still floated in the water, aflame. Through the flames a figure stood watching safely across the breach. 

“Why, Agent Parks, and to think I wasn’t expecting you until next week!” 

Emmy parked the bike, dismounted and approached the wall of flames, opposite of the man who got her into this whole mess to begin with.

“What is this, Arin? What could you possibly want with this universe? What’s your goal here?”

“What do I want,” Arin’s collected façade abruptly shifted into an ugly sneer. “I want you to BLEED! I want this whole world to crumble into the chaos just simmering under the surface. I want you to choke on the pain and suffering in the air.” 

Emmy narrowed her eyes, took another step forward and balled her hands into fists.

“You and I can settle this back in our world. Leave this one out of it! We can go back right now and finish this once and for all. But I am not going to let you cause any more chaos here. These people suffer enough without you poisoning this city!”

He cackled into the night.  
“You think I’m the one poisoning this city? Oh no I’m just exposing what’s already there. And soon this whole city is going to tear itself apart.” He smirked and continued. “And you, my dear Agent Parks, are going to be helpless to stop it.” 

“Emmy! Emmy! Dammit, where are you?! Emmy what the hell are you doing?!”

Emmy turned towards the sound of Dick’s voice to see him running towards her. She wasn’t sure how he got there, but it didn’t matter at that point. She would explain everything later. 

She turned back to confront Arin once more only to find that he’d disappeared, and all that was there was the few bobbing oil drums and a dimming inferno.


	4. Into the Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where things are discussed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to start going deeper into each couple and from here on out the excitement will definitely pick up

Tim was confused, to say the least, so instead of heading back to his apartment or back to The Cave he decided to follow Jason across rooftops and all around town until they stopped at what was presumably one of Jason’s many safe houses. 

He wasn’t dumb enough to sneak inside, so he changed in the alley before heading inside and simply knocking on Jason’s front door. He didn’t even flinch when Jason answered the door and held a gun in his face.

“What are you doing here, Replacement? Did we not spend enough quality time together tonight? I thought you’d be sick of me by now. Or are you just that desperate to get my approval?”

Tim kept an easy posture as he looked up at Jason under long lashes, “Are you going to let me in or not?” 

Jason had to fight off the shiver that Tim’s little coy act drew from him. Instead, he stepped aside and let Tim float gracefully past him. 

“What do you want, Tim? I’m tired and it’s been a long night. Whatever it is you want to say, say it fast and get out.” Jason barked, his voice sharp and harsh in hopes of frightening Tim away.

“Why did you care so much, tonight, while working together?” Tim got straight to the point. He faced Jason with his hands in his pockets to stop them from uncharacteristically fidgeting with nerves. “You’ve never-”

“It was business. That’s it. I just didn’t want Dick or Bruce getting pissed off if something happened to you. Besides, you were my backup. I’m not that much of an asshole to leave you high and dry.” Jason turned, hiding his face so Tim wouldn’t see the outright lie. He walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer, taking a long pull from the bottle.

“It seemed like more than just business, you were genuinely upset with me,” Tim recalled perfectly how shocked he was when Jason went off on him. 

Jason slammed down his beer bottle, miraculously not shattering it. He ignored the way Tim jumped at the outburst.

“Jesus, why can’t you ever let things go?! I told you why. Isn’t that good enough for you? What other explanation do you want?!”

“I want the truth,” Tim answered lowly, his eyes boring through Jason. 

Jason wanted to go to bed. He wanted to kick Tim out and pretend they never had this conversation. And at the same time he wanted to tell Tim to stay. They’ve never spent more than five minutes alone when they aren’t on a mission. He can talk to Tim. He wanted to see where things would go if he and Tim could just spend some time having a normal conversation.

He ran a hand through his hair as he thought of a response.

“I told you. There’s nothing else to tell.”

Tim tilted his head to the side, the gears in his head turning. “Then why don’t I believe you?” 

Jason narrowed his eyes, his jaw set and the muscles clenching in exasperation.

“What you do and don’t believe is your problem. It doesn’t matter. I told you all there was to tell. Now, I’m going to bed, so unless you’d like to join me, you can leave now.”

It was a joke. Of course it was a joke. Jason didn’t know why he said it. But it was out there, and there was no taking it back. And if Tim said anything then Jason would just make fun of him or annoy him until he dropped it. Tim could think what he wanted about Jason, but he didn’t need to hear what Jason truly thought of him. 

“Why are you running away from me?” 

Tim felt like a whining child but he’d spent so much of his life looking up to this man, studying him, learning as much as he could, but now he wasn’t fitting the profile. Lone wolf Jason Todd caring about his “replacement” Tim Drake? It didn’t make sense. 

“Excuse me? ‘Running away?’ I’m not running away from anything. Who the hell do you think you are, kid?”

“For the foreseeable future, I’m your partner,” Tim shot back.

Jason stalked towards him, an angry sneer on his face.

“Alright then, ‘partner’, I suggest you leave before you get some truth you’re going to regret asking for.” Jason sat down on his ragged couch, arms crossed over his chest and glared at Tim.

Tim steeled himself, “No.” 

“No?” Jason repeated disbelievingly. 

“No,” Tim squared his shoulders and faced Jason head on. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me.” 

Jason threw his arms in the air, standing up and stomping back over to Tim. He kept his distance, wanting to frighten Tim away, but only for the night.

“Fucking hell, didn’t we just go through this? I’ve said all I’m going to say. So let’s just cut to the point. If there’s something you want me to say then just let me know and I’ll say it. I’m not playing your little game anymore.”

“It’s not a fucking game!” Tim was reaching his limit. “Do you trust me or not?” 

There was no right answer Jason could’ve given to that. Admitting he did meant that Tim wouldn’t lave him alone about this. It meant admitting everything to Tim and himself that he did care at least a little. And saying no meant that he’d hurt Tim. 

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

“Yes. I trust you. Is that what you want to hear?”

Tim almost stumbled back a step. He wasn’t expecting that. If anything he was expecting Jason to unleash another crushing tirade that would leave Tim skittering towards the door. But this was sincere, and secretly it made Tim’s heart flutter in his chest. 

“Jason…” He took a step forward. “You have to know I trust you too.” 

“Just get to the point, kid. I’d like to sleep at some point today.”

“We’re partners,” Tim said almost in confirmation to himself. “Trust me to take care of myself.” 

Jason almost wanted to laugh. He was proud of the kid for having the guts to stick up for himself. He didn’t like it. Didn’t want to let the kid go off by himself. Knows he can take care of himself, but didn’t want to let him. He had no other choice, though. Besides, he really was tired.

“Whatever. Just don’t come crying to me when you get shot because you didn’t have backup.” 

“I won’t,” Tim’s lips quirked up into a small smile. “I’ll have you.” 

Jason bit his lips, tilted his head back so he wouldn't have to look at Tim anymore. Because if he did then he would undoubtedly do something sappy or stupid. Or the worst case scenario for both of them, yank Tim onto his lap and kiss Tim breathless. 

"I might not always be around. You can't rely on anyone, Drake. I'm a living example of that. And don't forget it."

Tim shook his head, “I don’t believe that.” 

Jason laughed, humorless and cold. 

"Yeah, well, do whatever you want, kid. But if you get killed then my conscience is clear."

Tim hesitated but ultimately knew that there would be no arguing with Jason when he was like this. 

-

Emmy wheeled into the cave like a madwoman. Her blood was boiling. Not even the thought of catching the clown woman was enough to calm her down. 

"You okay?" Dick asked hesitantly.

Emmy barely waited for the bike to come to a full stop before she was climbing off and striding through the cave, “Fine.” 

Dick dismounted the bike but hovered near it, worried that crowding Emmy would just piss her off further. He wasn't dumb enough to get within striking distance of her while she was clearly upset, but he still needed to figure out what was bothering her. 

"Obviously that's a load of shit. You maybe wanna talk about it?"

“I should’ve gotten here sooner,” Emmy bit out approaching a table and pulling out her weapons. 

"Gotten where sooner? The place Arin was hiding that none of us knew about? Or the fictional universe that you've been navigating better than most of the people who actually live here? None of this is your fault." Dick took a handful of tentative steps toward Emmy as he spoke.

“I was close to catching him in Memphis, and then again in Orlando, and again and again but he’s always just one step ahead of me!” She slammed one of the knives down in frustration. “Whatever happens here is my fault.” 

Dick closes the last few steps of space between them. 

"It would be all of our faults, Emmy. If Bruce, Tim, Jason and I can't stop this guy, in our own city, then obviously we're not fit for our jobs. And if, between the five of us, we can't catch Arin, then we all have a problem."

Emmy felt tears prick the corner of her eyes and she violently pushed them back, “You don’t yet realize what he’s capable of.” 

"I can guess." Dick said softly, trying to calm Emmy. "And you're not in this alone. I get that this is your case, and I know how hard you've been working to catch this guy, but we're here. We're in this with you now. And we... I personally, am happy to help such a badass woman catch a psychopath." Dick smirked at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "In fact, I can think of nothing I'd rather be doing than hanging out with a hot CIA agent and fighting crime."

For a moment Emmy tried to stare past the domino still masking his face. Part of her wanted to believe in these comic book heroes but deep down she was still the lone agent lost amongst the trail of a psychopath. 

"Listen, if there's anything I else I can do to help then let me know. I get that us just having this discussion doesn't really help anything, but I am here if you need anything. And I don't just mean with the case." Dick removed his domino and met Emmy's eyes. "We'll catch Arin. Even if it takes years. We'll get him."

Emmy had to shake herself before she got lost in those eyes. How could anyone be so earnest? 

“Let’s just worry about regrouping tomorrow,” Emmy stepped away with a nod. 

Bruce descended down the stairs, moving as though he were a part of the shadows and stone. Alfred followed behind him. 

"How did things go at the docks?" 

He was still in full Bat uniform, his cowl up. Dick could only imagine Alfred's distaste of Bruce roaming in the manor while dressed as Batman. And the look on his face told Dick he was right.

“Master Bruce…” He sighed but remained silent when Bruce held up a hand watching the agent his former protégée expectantly. 

“We caught the one girl but Arin is still at large,” Emmy listed off, pursuing her lips and meeting his gaze evenly. 

"Alright. Well, you two catch some sleep. You're of no use to us if you're dead on your feet. Alfred, please show Agent Parks to a guest room. One on the west side of the manor."

"Sir," Alfred said with a nod, shooting an angry look at the back of Bruce's head. "If you'll follow me, Agent Parks. I hope you'll be comfortable. Even if Master Bruce does tend to make his guests feel like prisoners."

Dick bit his lip to stifle a laugh and tried not to imagine Bruce's angry gaze behind his cowl. 

"Dick, if I could have a moment." Bruce practically growled.

Emmy shot him a concerned look over her shoulder as she was dragged off by Alfred who was already occupying her attention with questions about “personal items”. 

"How was she in the field?" Bruce asked once Emmy had followed Alfred out of the cave. 

"Impressive. Saved my ass, actually. You'd like her if you weren't, you know, you." Dick smirked. 

"This is not a game, Dick," Bruce rumbled and yanked back the cowl. "This man is clearly dangerous and we can't afford to take unnecessary risks!"

Dick's smile fell and his shoulders dropped. 

"I know, Bruce. I didn't mean to make this a joke. She's smart and she's good at what she does. We can trust her." 

He moved slowly toward Bruce. He's known the man long enough to know how to navigate any and all of his moods. This mood means no arguing and being as non- aggressive as possible. 

"She knows what she's doing and she'll be fine. I swear, she won't be any trouble for us."

Bruce sighed and nodded. 

"Alright. As long as you trust her. But she's your responsibility, Dick. If she screws up then this is on you, and if she gets herself killed..." Bruce doesn't finish the sentence. 

Dick met Bruce's unflinching gaze and spoke with conviction. 

"She'll be fine. You don't need to worry. I swear."

Bruce gave a stiff nod, his eyes trailing across the weapons the young woman had left behind, “She doesn’t go anywhere unaccompanied. Understand?” 

"Got it, boss. You know, I think alfred might like finally having a girl in the house. I think he's pretty fed up with us."

Bruce almost cracked a smile at that. 

"I'm not so sure about that. I'd hate to imagine what he'd do to all of us if he had to permanently cook for one more mouth every night."

Dick smiled at him. "Then I guess we should all be thankful that this is just temporary."

"Indeed." Bruce agreed and gave Dick a real smile that time.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all have enjoyed our stoyr! Not sure when it will be that we'll be getting out each chapter, but we'll have it out as soon as we can. In the meantime, feel free to check out both of our other works. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and giving us a chance!


End file.
